The invention concerns processes and products for the detection of microbes like bacteria, yeast, mold and viruses.
In our everyday life we are unknowingly exposed to microbial-contaminated surfaces which can lead to illness. Studies have shown specific bacteria-contaminated “hot spots” to include public telephone, door handles, toys in doctors waiting rooms and child care facilities, hot air dryers to dry hands, towels and sponges used in the kitchen, the hands of hospital staff during routine patient care and cross contamination from food preparation surfaces and knives where raw meats and vegetables are mixed.
Recent bacterial contamination outbreaks in various locations in the United States alone have resulted in the death of children and senior citizens and sickening of others. Microbial contamination of food is also a major problem throughout the world. Salmonella, E. coli and other food-borne bacteria cause untold numbers of illness each year. Acute symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and headache. Chronic consequences may follow after the onset of acute symptoms. As cross-contamination of surfaces can cause transfer of bacteria from meat, fish, and poultry to uncooked food such as vegetables, the ability to easily detect the presence of bacteria on food-preparation surfaces would be of great benefit.
Similarly, the detection of harmful levels of microbes in the food processing business is very important in maintaining the health of families and customers alike. In the food processing industry, bacteria monitoring is critical. The processing of virtually all foods, from meat packing to cheese production, involves monitoring microbes levels in order to ensure the safety of the food supply.
The havoc wreaked by microbial contamination is not limited to the food industry alone. Recent decades have seen a dramatic rise in “superbugs,” a problem whose epicenter exists in the hospital and healthcare community. The overuse of antibiotics as well as inadequacies in hospital cleaning have given rise to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, as well as vancomycin-resistant enterococci and other gram-negative bacilli (Dancer, 2004). A recent BBC report cited that MRSA claims an estimated 5000 lives yearly. The article goes on to declare that “Cleanliness remains a major patient concern and MRSA is a growing problem.” When one considers that many patients in hospitals are already immuno-compromised and therefore at greater risk of infection, the threat posed by nefarious bacteria in the hospital environment becomes even more menacing.
There are numerous reports and studies dedicated to the topic of hospital cleanliness and the prevention of nosocomial infection.
Similarly, molds such as ergot have been known to grow in certain cereals such as rye and may be potentially hazardous by dint of their production of toxic alkaloids similar to lysergic acid. Aspergillus niger and other molds have been known to produce spores that may cause allergic reactions as well as aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma. A. niger may be particularly problematic if it begins to grow on a damp wall, or in air conditioning equipment in the home or commercial buildings.
Certain yeasts, such as Candida albicans, can represent another troublesome class of microorganisms. C. albicans has been associated with diaper rash in infants, oral thrush in children and immuno-compromised adults, and vaginal yeast infections. Yeasts may also infect the pharageal region of the body, as well as the gastro-intestinal tract.
Current methods of bacteria detection involve sampling the surfaces of equipment. In a food processing environment, the equipment could be meat cutting machinery, whereas in a food preparing environment such as a restaurant or in the home, the surface could be a table, a cutting board, the inside of a refrigerator, or a work surface. The sample is then incubated overnight to growth a culture. The overnight growth culture allows the sample to grow on an agar plate at appropriate temperature and humidity so that the bacteria grow and multiply until they form colonies large enough to be visible to the naked eye. After incubating for the prescribed time and allowing the bacteria colonies to grow, the agar plate sample is examined manually and the colony forming units (CFU) estimated by a trained technician. This method is somewhat expensive and involves a substantial time lag; a time lag in which contaminated product may have been shipped or people exposed to microbes present.
It is clear that there exists a need for a process and product which allows for the rapid detection of harmful microorganisms.